A 21-year-old inmate of Thane Central Jail reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the toilet early on Saturday between 2.30 am and 2.45 am. He used own T-shirt to commit suicide

Ashish Anup Baranwal

A 21-year-old inmate of Thane Central Jail reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the toilet early on Saturday between 2.30 am and 2.45 am.

His body was discovered around 3 am.

Ashish Anup Baranwal, a resident of Virar's Kaman-Dongarpada area, had been arrested last year in the gang rape case of a minor.

The jail authorities said that he used his T-shirt to hang himself from the grill of the window. Thane Jail superintendent NB Vaychal said that a preliminary inquiry in the matter, by speaking with other inmates in the jail, revealed that Baranwal was depressed over not getting bail.

"We checked the CCTV footage and he was seen walking towards the toilet. Prima facie no foul play has been found in the incident," said Rajvardhan Sinha, inspector general of police (South region prisons).

A senior officer also said that the panchnama of the body was conducted in the presence of a magistrate and, since it's a custodial death, a judicial inquiry will be conducted in the matter.

Baranwal had been arrested in July 2016 for sexually assaulting his 17-year-old girlfriend after getting her drunk. Three of his friends also assaulted her.

Custodial deaths this month

June 23: Manjula Shetye was allegedly beaten to death inside Byculla prison.

July 8: Pune's Yerawada Jail inmate Sukhdev Meghraj died after another inmate smashed his head with a stone.

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